Prognostic factors and outcomes of adjuvant and first-line metastatic treatments in melanoma a Turkish oncology group study.

Management of melanoma has changed significantly with the discovery of targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Our aim in the study is to determine which treatment alternatives, specifically dabrafenib plus trametinib and ICIs, are effective in adjuvant therapy and which treatment is effective as first-line metastatic therapy. This retrospective, multicenter study included 120 patients diagnosed with stage IIIB-IIID melanoma receiving both adjuvant and first-line metastatic treatment between 2007 and 2023.

Bacillus spp. as microbial factories for levan and fructooligosaccharide production - Recent trends.

Levan is a fructan-type homopolysaccharide that has gained increasing attention due to its unique properties and promising applications. It is a fructose-based polymer produced through microbial fermentation by diverse microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts and archaea. The ongoing research on levan mainly focuses on optimizing production processes, elucidating its biological functions, and uncover novel applications.

Seroprevalence of TORCH Viral Agents in Pregnant Women in Turkey: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Rubella Virus, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2), Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause serious fetal disease. The seropositivity rates of these agents vary among countries and geographic regions. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence rates and diagnostic methods used in studies investigating the seroprevalence of viral pathogens in the TORCH group among pregnant women in Turkey between 2005 and 2024.

Sustainable CO Capture: N,S-Codoped Porous Carbons Derived from Petroleum Coke with High Selectivity and Stability.

CO capture from the flue gas is a promising approach to mitigate global warming. However, regulating the carbon-based adsorbent in terms of textural and surface modification is still a challenge. To overcome this issue, the present study depicts the development of cost-effective and high-performance CO adsorbents derived from petroleum coke, an industrial by-product, using a two-step process involving thiourea modification and KOH activation.

Test-Retest Reliability and Validity of TecnoBody D-Wall to Assess the Range of Motion During Overhead Squat in Healthy Individuals.

This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the TecnoBody D-Wall system in assessing joint range of motion (ROM) during overhead squat movements in healthy individuals, using Kinovea as a reference tool for data comparison. A total of 29 participants (16 males, 13 females) with a mean age of 28.41 ± 6.

The Effect of Systemic Inflammation and Clinicopathologic Features on Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Multicenter Analysis.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Identifying reliable prognostic factors is crucial for risk stratification and optimizing treatment strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinicopathologic factors and systemic inflammatory markers on survival outcomes in patients with MPM.

Enhancing Treatment Decisions for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutations: A Reinforcement Learning Approach.

Background: Although higher-generation TKIs are associated with improved progression-free survival in advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations, the optimal selection of TKI treatment remains uncertain. To address this gap, we developed a web application powered by a reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm to assist in guiding initial TKI treatment decisions.

Methods: Clinical and mutational data from advanced NSCLC patients were retrospectively collected from 14 medical centers.

XGBoost Enhances the Performance of SAFE: A Novel Microwave Imaging System for Early Detection of Malignant Breast Cancer.

Background/objectives: Breast cancer is a significant global health concern, and early detection is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Mammography is widely used but has limitations, particularly for younger women with denser breasts. These include reduced sensitivity, false positives, and radiation risks.

Evaluation of the effect of dental caries, oral hygiene, and treatment need on oral health-related quality of life among Turkish orphan children and adolescents.

Background: The oral and dental health and related quality of life of orphan children and adolescents-who are considered a vulnerable population-are critical for both individual and public health.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the status of the dental caries, oral hygiene, and dental treatment needs among a group of Turkish male orphan children and adolescents, as well as their impact on oral health-related quality of life.

Methods: A total of 112 orphan children and adolescents aged between 9 and 17 years living in a residential care facility in Istanbul, Türkiye, were involved in this cross-sectional study.

Takayasu arteritis: a geographically distant but immunologically proximal MHC-I-opathy.

Takayasu arteritis, a granulomatosis vasculitis with a pathogenesis that is poorly defined but known to be associated with HLA-B*52, shares many features with other MHC-I-opathies. In addition to the shared clinical features of inflammatory bowel diseases, cutaneous inflammation, and HLA-B*52, is shared association of an IL12B single- nucleotide polymorphism encoding the common IL-12 and IL-23 p40 subunit, which might affect not only type 17 cytokine responses, but also IFNγ and TNF production-the cardinal type 1 cytokines in granuloma formation. Considering the translational context of responses to TNF inhibition in Takayasu arteritis, in this Personal View we propose Takayasu arteritis as a type 1 MHC-I-opathy.

Predictors of early childhood insomnia according to parent-rated degree of severity.

This study aimed to investigate child and maternal-related predictors of Early Childhood Insomnia (ECI) based on a parent-rated severity in a convenience sample of mother-infant dyads with ECI. We conducted a single-center, cross-sectional prospective study involving infants aged 6-36 months who attended the Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Outpatient Clinic at Marmara University Hospital, Istanbul, over 5 years for ECI. Infant sleep was evaluated by Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire.

The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on personal hygiene behavior and the frequency of peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Introduction And Aim: Peritonitis is a critical complication in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, making compliance with personal hygiene essential. This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic on hygiene behaviors and peritonitis incidence in PD patients.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-two PD patients were assessed for hygiene behaviors, demographic, and medical data.

Investigation of Chitosan-Based Hydrogels and Polycaprolactone-Based Electrospun Fibers as Wound Dressing Materials Based on Mechanical, Physical, and Chemical Characterization.

The aim of this project is to fabricate fiber mats and hydrogel materials that constitute the two main components of a wound dressing material. The contributions of boric acid (BA) and zinc oxide (ZnO) to the physical and mechanical properties of polycaprolactone (PCL) is investigated. These materials are chosen for their antimicrobial and antifungal effects.

Predictors of Young Adult Women's Psychological Well-Being in Romantic Relationships.

Psychological well-being is the experience of fewer negative emotions, such as feelings of loneliness, depression, and low mood, and more positive emotions, such as taking pride in one's life, being enthusiastic about one's life, and having a highly satisfying purpose in life. In other words, it describes an individual who is happy and free from psychopathology. Psychological well-being in romantic relationships is influenced by several factors, such as empathy, relationship stability, and quality of sex life.

Are different photogrammetry applications on smartphones sufficiently reliable?

Objective: This study aimed to compare the accuracy of Qlone, Magiscan, and 3dMD with that of direct anthropometry (DA).

Methods: The study involved 41 patients. Sixteen facial landmarks, including six individual and five paired points, were marked on each participant's face.

ACTION Teens Global Survey-Türkiye Report: More Worry and Less Motivation for Adolescents Living with Obesity.

Objective: ACTION Teens (NCT05013359) surveyed adolescents living with obesity (ALwO), their caregivers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in 10 countries to identify attitudes, perceptions, behaviors, and barriers preventing effective obesity care. This subanalysis identified key findings from Türkiye.

Methods: In Türkiye, 700 ALwO (aged 12-<18 years), 700 caregivers, and 324 HCPs completed a cross-sectional survey (September-November 2021).

Diagnostic Challenge of Phenotypic Variability in COL2A1-Related Disorders: Four Novel Variants and Expanding the Clinical Spectrum.

Objective: Heterozygous COL2A1 gene mutations are associated with type 2 collagenopathies, characterized by a wide, diverse, and overlapping clinical spectrum in related diseases. Our goal is to describe the clinical, radiological, and molecular findings of patients with COL2A1-related dysplasia and investigate the phenotype-genotype correlation. We also aim to emphasize the challenge of categorizing COL2A1-related diseases with similar clinical and radiological phenotypes.

Cushing syndrome.

Cushing syndrome (CS) is a constellation of signs and symptoms caused by excessive exposure to exogenous or endogenous glucocorticoid hormones. Endogenous CS is caused by increased cortisol production by one or both adrenal glands (adrenal CS) or by elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion from a pituitary tumour (Cushing disease (CD)) or non-pituitary tumour (ectopic ACTH secretion), which stimulates excessive cortisol production. CS is associated with severe multisystem morbidity, including impaired cardiovascular and metabolic function, infections and neuropsychiatric disorders, which notably reduce quality of life.

A new Mediterranean Lifestyle Pyramid for children and youth: a critical lifestyle tool for preventing obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases in a sustainable context.

Cardiovascular risk factors begin in childhood and track into adulthood, increasing the possibility of impaired cardiometabolic health. Adopting healthy dietary patterns can help curb childhood obesity, a worrisome epidemic problem at present. In the era of personalized nutrition, dietary recommendations should be adapted to different stages of life, including children (older than 3 years) and adolescents.

Deep Learning Enabled Scoring of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Based on Cancer Infiltration Patterns.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms that include tumors with different histomorphologic characteristics that can be correlated to sub-categories with different prognoses. In addition to the WHO grading scheme based on tumor proliferative activity, a new parameter based on the scoring of infiltration patterns at the interface of tumor and non-neoplastic parenchyma (tumor-NNP interface) has recently been proposed for PanNET categorization. Despite the known correlations, these categorizations can still be problematic due to the need for human judgment, which may involve intra- and inter-observer variability.

Development of organizational healing scale: validity and reliability study.

Introduction: Adverse and destructive situations can have a significant and long-lasting impact on organizational members, resulting in considerable disruption to organizational functioning. The occurrence of negative or traumatic events in organizations can be attributed to a range of factors, including natural adversities, as well as intentional or human-induced crises. The concept of organizational healing encompasses both the processes that enable an organization to regain functionality following adversity and the strategies that facilitate enhanced performance in the period following trauma or harm.

Microbial seafood safety assessment following a marine mucilage disaster in the Sea of Marmara.

Marine mucilage disasters, primarily caused by global warming and marine pollution, threaten food security and the sustainability of marine food resources. This study assessed the microbial risks to public health in common sole, deep-water rose shrimp, European anchovy, Atlantic horse mackerel and Mediterranean mussel following the mucilage disaster in the Sea of Marmara in 2021. The total viable count, total Enterobacteriaceae count and the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp.

Reducing Quotation Errors in Scientific Manuscripts: A Novel Approach from the Global Andrology Forum.

Purpose: This study investigated 1) the frequency of quotation errors in multi-authored medical manuscripts in andrology, 2) analyzed common types of quotation errors and the methods used to rectify them, and 3) evaluated their impact on manuscript accuracy, credibility, and research conclusions.

Materials And Methods: Twelve manuscripts written by the Global Andrology Forum (GAF) members between 2023 and 2024 were randomly selected for this study. The manuscripts and "Quotation Verification Sheets" were analyzed by senior GAF researchers to detect the number and types of quotation errors.